Bristol - place to stay

I think you’ll probably want to stay close to Temple Meads train station for your day trips. Cardiff is a train journey, Glastonbury is bus only and there is a stop outside the station.

The area directly around the station is honestly one huge eyesore. There’s construction work in multiple places plus several large abandoned buildings. It’s a very long story but they’ve been like that for decades and apparently nothing can be done about it. However, it’s not dangerous just ugly.

I’d probably recommend the Doubletree Hotel for location as it’s close to the station and the Harbourside and is next door to St Mary Redcliffe, a beautiful medieval church.

Zoom in on a map to be sure you'll have decent food access close enough to your hotel. I stayed near Temple Mead back in 2017 (?), and there were very few food sources nearby. I walked around a lot without finding anything and ended up grabbing something at the Ibis where I was staying. The food had been mishandled or mis-prepared in some way, and I was stuck in my hotel room the next day, missing a prepaid tour of the Cotswolds. I'd never eat there again.

There are loads of places to eat at the Harbourside which is why the Doubletree is in a good location. I have never stayed there so don’t know what it’s like but I presume fairly standard for the chain.

Hello, we stayed at the Brooks guest house across from the Nicholas Market when we visited Bristol in 2024. Rooms are quaint, location is marvelous, breakfast is outstanding. We walked to the Temple Mead train station (0.75 miles, 15-20 mins), also to Wapping wharf (similar distance as the station). Lots of food options close by as well as public transportation. Have a great time!

I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn City Centre. It was an easy walk to the train station (and there is a great bakery just below train station called Hart's Bakery) and easy to walk around the city centre. I took a day trip to Cardiff via the train. Super easy and less than an hour one way. Also lots of great restaurants over on the warf. Enjoy your trip!

Christine, if you'd like to get a look at Bristol, you might want to watch the show "Down Cemetery Lane" that's on HBO Max right now with Emma Thompson. It's a really good show, but it was filmed almost entirely in Bristol or outside of Bristol, even though technically it takes place in Oxford and Scotland.

Watching it made me want to go to Bristol, so you might enjoy it.

Thank you to ALL travelers who responded to my question. Great ideas!